Shopping at Epcot

Epcot has a handful of shops in Future World. If you want
to purchase Epcot themed products, this is the best place to do so. Mousegear,
formerly the Centorium, for example, is a multi-floored store that sells
products with the Epcot logo as well as Character products. Also
in Future world, The Art of Disney provides a place to purchase Disney
collectibles and Ice Station Cool is the venue for buying Coca- Cola-
themed items (and getting free samples of Coke products that are available
around the world. )

The inventory at the bazaar at the International Gateway
is much like that of Mousegear, since It's considered to be your "last
stop" for Epcot-themed items if you leave the park via the gateway.

Some of the Future World pavilions have small shops, too.
A boutique inside The Living Seas, for example, sells jewelry and gift
items with a nautical theme. A shop on the food court level of The Land,
the Green Thumb Emporium, sells gardening books, seeds, tools, and kitchen
tools and trinkets. A large supply of refrigerator magnets is among my
favorites here. Incidentally, the walking tour of the Land's greenhouses
start this location, too.

However, Epcot's best shopping venues, in my opinion, are
located back in the various international pavilions surrounding World
Showcase Lagoon. Each and every one of the nations have goods, originating
from that country, for sale. They are (working clockwise):

The marketplace inside the Mexican pavilion sells many
items hand-crafted in Mexico.

The shop in Norway sells Lego blocks (odd, since Lego's
are made in Denmark), Norwegian food items, and sweaters and other
warm-weather clothing.

The left hand side of the China pavilion, behind the
restaurants, is the shopping district for this pavilion. Believe it
or not, this is a store that, until our 1996 trip, Barb and I had
never been into. What a blunder! This store has many wonderful items
from China. Besides the usual trinkets, some lovely furniture, silk
gown and shirts, and many other treasures are for sale here.

The shops in Germany sell wonderful German chocolates.
They also have a great collection of dolls, and steins.

Italy's shops offer crystal and glass ware and other
beautiful examples of Italian workmanship and artistry. Also, I found
that the Mocha chocolate bar I once bought in Germany -- but which
is no longer available at the German pavilion, can be replaced by
a cappuccino bar in Italy...and it's not a bad trade off.

The shop in the American Adventure is one of the most
disappointing, in my experience. It sells trinkets based on US history,
for the most part.

Japan's store features kimonos, pearl jewelry (and oysters
that you can open to find your own pearl), bonsai trees and supplies,
origami (paper folding) kits, and other items. Just a warning here
-- my wife the bonsai expert says that you shouldn't ever buy a bonsai
from this store. The trees are not cared for, and are probably already
dead in the store. Even though they look green, since they are evergreens
after all, they will look ok for awhile but will clearly be brown
soon after your return home.

Morocco's shop sells hand-crafted items from Morocco.
Woven baskets, leather craft, and many wonderful rugs are among the
most common items that are available.

The French pavilion sells perfumes, art reproductions,
and French trinkets.

Great Britain's shops sell Royal Daulton china, shortbread
and teas, Coats of Arms (for those of us with British, Irish, or Scottish
heritage), Lavender and Rose perfumes and appointments, and English-made
toys as well as other items produced in the United Kingdom.

Canada's shops emphasize the hand-crafted items of the
Native Americans of the northwest territories as well very fancy items
from the eastern provinces.

A couple of shops are located just below Canada and
Mexico in the area that connects World Showcase with Future World.
These shops sell Epcot themed items and trinkets from around the world.
The inventory changes seasonally, so when it's close to Christmas
time, look for ornaments, lights, wreaths, and other such decorations.

Unless you feel strongly about Epcot-themed items, I'd recommend
you skip the Mousegear and International Gateway shops. There are many
more unique and interesting items in the international shops around the
lagoon.

Resort Delivery

Don't forget, if you're staying at a Disney resort, you
can have packages delivered to the front desk of your hotel. Take advantage
of the service. It's definitely worth while.

Package Pick-Up at the Park

You can also have your package delivered to the front of
the park, where you can pick it up later in the day (on the way back to
your resort, perhaps). In Epcot, packages are delivered to
"Lost and Found" next to the gift shop located just OUTSIDE
the gates and immediately to the left of the turnstiles as you're exiting
the park.

MousePlanet® is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews, and guides primarily about the theme park resorts of the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please call destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.